"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"
Slark hissed in unwilling frustration, attempting to flee with his remaining minions.
"You want to leave? Have you asked me first!" Ed snorted coldly, his gaze already locked onto the priest.
Startled, Slark frantically waved his bone staff, firing a bolt of emerald energy that whistled toward Ed. Ed didn't flinch; the combat qi on his sword blazed brilliantly as he struck out with a heavy blow!
Sshh!
The energy bolt was instantly shattered! Ed's blade didn't stop; carrying a sharp killing intent, it lunged straight for Slark's throat. Slark's eyes flashed with despair. He was a priest with extremely weak close-combat abilities—how could he be a match for a Rank 3 Earth Knight?
At that very moment, the Mire Giant Crocodile let out a shrill, agonizing scream! After the prolonged exhaustion and slaughter, the crocodile was already riddled with wounds, its movements growing sluggish. The horn of the frenzied mother rhino flashed with cold light; she actually flipped the massive crocodile over and drove her horn deep into its chest.
The crocodile's massive body convulsed violently several times before finally slumping powerless to the ground, its yellow pupils slowly losing their luster.
Rank 3 magical beast, Mire Giant Crocodile—Dead!
Almost simultaneously, Ed's longsword accurately pierced Slark's final defenses and tore through his throat. Slark clutched his neck, his eyes filled with resentment and malice as he collapsed. With the deaths of their leaders, the remaining Magic Snake minions lost all will to resist and were quickly purged by the knights.
The battle was over.
The riverbank was a scene of devastation, strewn with corpses and stained with blood. Only the mother Iron-Armored Rhino remained. Though she was covered in wounds and drenched in blood, she stood tall, letting out a weary but victorious low growl. She cast a wary glance at Leylo, Ed, and the others, but did not launch another attack.
The din of battle gradually faded. The knights and guards began clearing the field, collecting spoils and piling the corpses of the cultists and the crocodile together for disposal.
Leylo turned his gaze toward the mother rhino as she stumbled away. Her shadow stretched long under the moonlight. After walking several dozen meters, her heavily injured body finally gave out, and she collapsed onto her side, falling into a coma.
"Ed, how do you think... we should handle her?" Leylo asked suddenly.
Ed followed Leylo's gaze and paused. Traditionally, the best way to deal with such a high-threat, injured beast was to kill it while it was weak to harvest its magic core, hide, and horn—valuable materials from a Rank 3 beast could equip several knights.
"My Lord, she is gravely wounded. Though she defeated the crocodile, she's at death's door herself," Ed thought for a moment. "If we act now, we can finish her easily. Her core and materials..."
Bolin interjected, "My Lord, Ed is right. That rhino is too aggressive; leaving her near the territory is a constant risk. Solving it now ends the trouble once and for all and brings in a fortune of resources."
Leylo remained silent. Killing the mother for immediate profit was the cold, rational choice of a lord. But he thought of the two calves—they were destined to be companions to his knights and protectors of the land. Perhaps beasts lacked the complex family ties of humans, but even crows know to feed their parents; surely a sentient magical beast possessed some emotion.
It was a difficult choice. Leylo took a deep breath and made his decision.
"No." Leylo slowly shook his head, his voice soft but resolute. "We won't kill her."
"My Lord?" Ed was confused.
"Send men to follow her, maintain distance, do not disturb her, and observe her movements," Leylo ordered. "Also, send someone back to town immediately. Have the physician bring all available potions and tools. We are going to... save her."
"Save... save her?" The captain thought he had misheard, his eyes wide. Using precious potions to save a wild Rank 3 beast that could turn on them at any moment? This was unheard of! However, Leylo had established enough authority that while Ed and Bolin had different opinions, they didn't argue and immediately moved to execute the order.
The sun sank low. Leylo returned to Blackstone Town with his exhausted, blood-stained knights. Though victorious, the territory had suffered losses—several guards and one knight had tragically died, with over a dozen wounded. For a town already thinned by the beast tide, this was a painful blow.
Leylo didn't rest immediately. After a quick wash, he summoned Ed, Bolin, and the administrative stewards to the manor's small meeting hall.
"We won last night, but it exposed many problems," Leylo said from the head of the table. "The Magic Snake threat is temporarily neutralized, but no one can guarantee when they might strike again from the Emerald Swamp. In this borderland, our military force is not yet enough to protect this land."
Ed agreed deeply. "Indeed, My Lord. If not for the rhino's intervention, our casualties would have doubled even in victory. Our current knights and guards are stretched too thin to guard such a large area."
Bolin added, "Furthermore, after the beast tide and this battle, we urgently need fresh blood."
"Therefore," Leylo stated, "I have decided that starting immediately, we will select a group of promising youths from across the Blackstone Territory to be trained as knight apprentices."
This was a necessary move for the territory's growth, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"For this selection," Leylo's voice became clear and firm, "the age range will be fourteen to twenty. Most importantly..." He paused, ensuring everyone was listening. "There is no gender restriction. As long as they meet the age requirement, are healthy, and show potential, both boys and girls can participate."
"Draft the standards and procedures as quickly as possible. Announce this today so every subject knows."
"Yes, My Lord!"
That afternoon, a notice issued by the Manor was posted in the most prominent spot of the town square. The content was simple: To strengthen the defenses of Blackstone, Lord Leylo had decided to openly select the first batch of knight apprentices. Anyone aged 14 to 20, regardless of gender, could sign up.